Studio North Academy of the Performing Arts, LLC

Studio North Academy of the Performing Arts, LLC

SNAP’s Staff

Pamela Sue Fox, Owner, Voice and Dance Instructor

Pamela Sue Fox has been performing in the Chicagoland area since 1996, in rooms and theatres such as the Royal George Cabaret Theatre, the Chicago Cultural Center, Gentry on Halsted and Gentry on State Street, the Bailiwick Repertory, the Theatre Building Chicago, the Steppenwolf Theatre with the Chicago Cabaret Professionals, the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Convention at Park West, and Davenport’s Cabaret, and participated in the Chicago Humanities Summer Education Festival. Outside of Chicago she has performed with the Cincinnati May Festival, Toledo Chorale, Madison Repertory Theatre, Seagate Dinner Theatre, Red Barn Playhouse, and many more. She has been featured in publications such as the Chicago Sun Times, Chicago Arts and Entertainment, Suburban Life, Cabaret Hotline Online, Wilmette Life, North Shore Magazine, and Gay Chicago Magazine. Proudly, she has taught for many institutions, including Porchlight Music Theatre, Northbrook Theatre, Harper College, Joel Hall Dance Center, Midwest Performing Arts Center, North Shore Dance Center, Wilmette Park District, South Shore Cultural Center, Grandstreet Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, Deerfield Park District, among others. She was the owner of Chicago’s first cabaret-during-the-day, pacy productions, and she is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) and the Chicago Cabaret Professionals. She has done workshops and masterclasses with some of the best in the business, including Bob Rizzo, Roni Mahler, Bruce Marks, and more. Ms. Pamela has been educating dancers and singers on the north shore for nearly 20 years.

Wendy Meyer-Gonzalez, Dance Instructor

Wendy Meyer-Gonzalez has been teaching dance locally on the north shore and in the northwest suburbs for nearly 15 years. Miss Wendy especially enjoys introducing the discipline, beauty and joy of dance to young children. She holds a BFA in Dance from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where she graduated with Highest Honors and received numerous choreographic awards. Miss Wendy also holds a Masters of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy from Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois. Her professional dance credits include work with the Dayton Ballet II, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre and Winifred Haun and Dancers.

Dave Onderdonk, Guitar and Piano Instructor

He started his career as a classical guitarist in a duo with dancer Patricia Hruby called “One Plus One”. From 1976-1980 he played concerts in Europe, Central and South America and throughout the United States. He has taken classical guitar master classes with Manuel Barrueco, Eliot Fisk, Eduardo Fernandez, and Turibio Santos. Since moving to Chicago in 1981 he has been active in the jazz clubs performing and touring with numerous groups. In 1984 and 1985 he recorded two albums of original guitar music for Quaver Records. (”Close Call” and “Lookout”) In 1993 he recorded a duo album of original music with drummer Mark Walker for Southport Records. (”Loose Contact”). Most recently, he recorded an album of renaissance guitar music as an independent project. He has toured and recorded with Fred Simon, Marlene Rosenberg, Fareed Haque, Kurt Elling (three grammy nominated albums), Terry Callier, and Grazyna Auguscik. He has also appeared on recordings with Pharoah Sanders, Mavis Staples, Cassandra Wilson, Mike Stern, Paul Wertico, and Paul McCandless to name a few. For over thirty years he has done studio work including CDs, TV jingles, documentaries (A&E with Bill Kurtis) and movie soundtracks (”Off the Map”). In 1996 he was featured in JAZZIZ magazine for their “Guitars on Fire” issue with “Eight is Enough” from “Loose Contact”. He has also been an instructor for over thirty years including Columbia College, Old Town School of Folk Music, Christopher Laughlin Guitar Studio, and Roosevelt University. He is currently teaching privately at the Elmhurst Music Academy and taught jazz studies at the Interlochen Center for the Arts during the summer sessions.

Kaitlin Webster, Dance Instructor

Kaitlin graduated Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. While in Colorado, she trained with the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop at the University of Colorado and performed with Interweave Dance Theater. Her Seattle credits include several Merce Cunningham “Min events” and Robert Battle’s “Rush Hour” at the Northwest New Works Festival in Seattle. Just recently, Ms. Webster produced and choreographed her first full-length production, Hydra, debuting to sold out houses and proving to be a tangible first step towards taking over the world.

Brittany Benington, Dance Instructor

Brittany Benington began her dance training in Huntington Beach, CA. She later traveled to San Francisco to train with the San Francisco Ballet School in the advanced division. Brittany has also studied during the summers with American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Houston Ballet Academy. She began her professional career dancing with the City Ballet of San Diego. Brittany went on to dance as a company artist with the Los Angeles Ballet, Ballet Tucson, and Madison Ballet. While dancing in Los Angeles, Brittany had the opportunity to dance in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, as well as the television show House. In addition to her dance training, Brittany has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California San Diego.

Véronique Becka, Dance Instructor

Véronique Becka began her training at the School of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. She was a member of the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium) under Jeanne Brabants and Valery Panov, and a soloist at the avant-garde Compagnie Aime de Ligniere, which allowed her to dance and tour all over the world. Inspired by her mentor and long-time ballet partner, the South-African dancer Ian Steyn du Toit, she started her choreographic career as resident choreographer for MultiDans, The Albany-Berkshire Ballet, and later the Grant Park Music Festival. She was also the choreographer on movies (Shepperton Studios) in London and TV commercials in Brussels and Paris.

However, teaching is her passion. As a teacher she combines the Vaganova technique with ballet body conditioning exercises to train students to become strong dancers. Mrs. Becka holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Pedagogy and a Ballet Teaching Certification from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. She was a tenured professor at the Belgian Academy for Music, Ballet and Theatre, and has been a faculty member at the Lemmens Conservatory, the New England Dance Conservatory, and the Albany Berkshire Ballet. She is thrilled to teach at SNAP!

Eilleen Mallary, Dance Instructor

Eilleen Mallary has been a Culture Shock® Chicago dancer for the past 11 years and also serves as Executive Director. She trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and is a former company member with Clear Lake Metropolitan Ballet, where she performed in productions of The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Dracula and Coppélia. She also had the honor of serving as the variations assistant to prima ballerina Janie Parker, the first American dancer to win a gold medal in the USA IBC. With Culture Shock, she has performed extensively throughout Chicago, as well as touring the US and Canada. She assisted with and performed a flash mob for Pillsbury with gospel duo “Mary Mary” and was an OfficeMax elf in the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012. She can be seen on film in the “Get Hybrid” mattress commercial and has performed for Adidas-Lollapalooza, Coca Cola and Nike’s “Let’s Move” campaign launch with First Lady Michelle Obama. Her most recent commercial choreography includes flash mobs for Bacardi, The Thrillist and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. Her students and choreography have won numerous awards and recognition at competitions and the city’s annual dance festival, Dance Chicago. Eilleen is a passionate and dedicated teacher who strives to inspire and create positive change through dance.

Brian Humphreys, Dance Instructor

Brian is originally from Littleton, Colorado. Active in a variety of theater and athletics growing up (including martial arts, figure skating, and tumbling), Brian began dancing when he was selected to participate in the residency of David Dorfman at Knox College. Humpherys went on to acquire a B.A. in Biology with a Dance minor from Knox, studying under Jennifer Smith and Kathleen Ridlon – and upon graduating was the recipient of the John Hofsas Prize in Dance. Brian moved to Chicago, Illinois in 2009 where he has worked with companies such as Perceptual Motion, Innervation Dance Cooperative, Indiana Ballet Theater, Corpo Dance Company, Mordine & Co., Pursuit Productions, as well as 6 years with Chicago Dance Crash. He has had the pleasure to work with choreographers such as Jon Lehrer, David Dorfman, Shirley Mordine, Ahmad Simmons, Stephanie Martinez, Nick Pupillo, Michael Rioux, and Jessica Deahr. Brian’s choreography has been shown as part of Hydra, RADfest, Tiffany Lawson Dance Co., and Emergence Choreographic Showcase. Most recently, Brian launched Fulcrum Dance as a vehicle to share his choreography.

Aimee Russon, Dance Instructor

Aimee began her dance training in Cary, IL and continued her training at the Universty of Utah in Salt Lake City, receiving a BFA in modern dance. While attending the University of Utah she had the opportunity to perform works by Sidra Bell, Pamela Geber Handman, and works set by the Martha Graham dance company. While in Chicago, Aimee has participated in the Thodos summer intensive, dance instructor trainings with CNADM and Bellamoxi, and performed with the Modern Marvels dance company. With an immense passion for teaching, Aimee continues to teach ballet, modern, jazz, tap and creative movement to students around northern Illinois and Wisconsin.

Alyssa Sawinski, Office Manager and Rehearsal Director

Alyssa is an accomplished dancer with over 20 years of dance training in various styles. She has a strong passion for both contemporary and modern dance. Alyssa has performance experience in choreography, management and production as well as allowing her to improve my technique. Originally from Zumbro Falls, MN, where she began her training at the Zumbrota Dance Studio; then she attended Winona State University for 4 years and graduated with a BA in Public Relations and Dance. During the fall of 2015 and until June 2016, she jumped across the pond to study modern dance abroad in London at Roehampton University. Her love for dance has taken her all over the world and she aims to share her knowledge and love with others in this world.

Laura David, Office Manager and Dance Instructor

Laura graduated cum laude from Kenyon College with a degree in Dance and Islamic Area Studies. She studied dance history, dance pedagogy, Labanotation, choreography, and Kinesiology. Laura also ran a free weekly creative movement class for children in the area. Her senior year, she was honored with The Dance Prize, acknowledging her accomplishments and contributions to the department. Laura got her start dancing with Ms. Wendy in Story Ballet and went on to study Ballet and Tap under Miss Pamela. She danced in SNAP’s company its very first year while attending New Trier, where she danced and choreographed extensively. While at New Trier, Laura also received the Junior Dance Award and the Choreography Award. She is very excited to be working & teaching at SNAP this year!